Berberg



Pa'ten'ted Dec. l3, I898.

F. m. ARCHER. 4 ELECTRICAL BEDBUG EXTERMINATOR.

(Application filed Feb; 7, 1898.)

(No Mpdel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SIEGFRIED SIL-.

SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL BEDBUG-EXTERMINATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,049, dated December 13, 1898.

Application filed February 7, 1898. Serial No. 669,334. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK M. ARCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Bedbug- Exterminators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to bedbug-exterminators; andit consists of electrical devices applied to bedsteads in such a manner that currents of electricity will be sent through the bodies of the bugs, which will either kill them or startle them, so that they will leave the bedstead. The electrical devices used consist of abattery,induction-coil, a switch, and a number of circuits leading to various locations on the bedstead, where are placed suitable circuit-terminals, arranged so bu s in -1% movin about will close the 'r u it througlf thelr own bo les.

n e accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 shows a portion of a bedstead with the electrical devices attached to the inside of the side pieces of the bed. Fig. 2 shows one arrangement of contact-terminals applied to the surface of the bedstead. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a joint in the bedstead, showing the contiguous edges of the joint fitted with contact-termi nals; and Fig. 4 is a diagram of the circuits. Let A represent the bedstead. I proposeto fit it with a battery I), an induction-coil c, commonly known as a medical coil, and a switch 8, by which the apparatus may be put into and out of operation. These devices are preferably attached to some portion of the bedstead. On metal bedsteads they can easily be secured on the inside of the angleiron of which the side pieces are made; but on wooden bedsteads they may be placed in anylocation where they will-not be seen. At proper locations on the bedstead, preferably such locations as are inhabited to the greatest extent by the bedbugs, such as at the joints and angles, I place pairs of metallic contacts, insulated from each other, but so close together that an insect in passing from one to theother must necessarily close the circuit 5 between the contacts. Such a pair of contacts I have shown in Fig. 2. Here they consist of two metallic rings 0 c, surrounding a cylindrical portion of the bedstead, such as a leg, and insulated by a hard-rubber or fiber bushing d. The positive and negative wires from the battery and coil are connected, respectively, to these rings. The space 0 Ice-- tween the rings is such that a bug in crossing from one to the other must olosethe circuit through its own body, and thus receiveacur- 6o rent of electricity. If these rings are placed on a leg of the bedstead, an insect in climbing up will when it receives the shock more than likely change its mind and return in the direction whence it came. Another location where the contacts would be particularly efficient is at the joints between the side pieces and the head and foot boards. A perspective of such a joint is shown in Fig. 3. A pair of insulated contact-strips eand e is placed along each of the contiguous edges of the joint and surrounding the joint on all sides. The polarities of these strips are so arranged that a positive and negative strip will be next to the respective edges, so that the insect in crossing a pair or the adjacent members of the two pairs will necessarily receive a current, which will either terminate its career at once or make it seek other locations. In like man-. ner contact-strips in pairs, constituting the terminals of the circuit, may be located at various places on the bedstead or on the bedsprings, which will so harass the bugs as to cause them to shun the bed entirely.

Obviously the apparatus need not be in operation all the time. It may be in operation during the day and shut off at night by opening the switch, and after the insects have been exterminated from the bed it need be used only at long intervals. The circuits are shown in Fig. 4, wherein the contact-terminals are placed-in multiple with each other; but it is obvious that other circuits may be used and that the battery, coil, and switch, one or all, may be placed in some other location than on the bedstead.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with a bedstead, of one or more pairs of electrical contacts consist- I00 at Various points and connected in said circuit, as and for the purposevset forth.

In a bedstead, a joint whose abutting faces are provided with electrical circuit-terminals, in combination with a source of electricity and a circuit leading therefrom to said terminals, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. ARCHER.

\Vitnesses:

HARRY BAIL Y, FRANK S. OBER. 

